2 If the learners feels save, they will be more able to take part in the lesson.
3 Learners are motivated if the lessons are interesting.
4 Learners should be told new things.
5 Learners need new things and how to do new things.
6 Learners need guidance.
7 Learners should be encouraged Edge, 2001: 9.
b. The Meaning of English Language Learning
The most obvious characteristics in language learning is that students use the language a great deal through communicative activities such as games, role play, and
problem solving tasks Larsen and Freeman, 2000: 129. Learning a language is not just matter of mastering the structure of a language. Language is for communication. The
students have to interact a great deal with one another. They do this in various configurations: pairs, triads, small groups, and whole group. Richards 2001: 161
gives three elements in language learning. The first element is communication principle. The activities that involve real communication promote learning. A second
element is the task principle. Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning. The third element is the meaningfulness principle:
language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process. Learning activities are consequently selected according to how well they engage the learner in
meaningful and authentic language use rather than merely mechanical practice of language pattern.
c. The Purpose of English Language Teaching and Learning
The main function of language teaching is for communication. All English instructions enable their students to communicate in the target language. Richards
2001: 36 states that communicative language teaching as a broad approach to teaching that resulted from a focus of communication as the organizing principle rather than a
focus on mastery of the grammatical system of the language. While Brown 2001: 42 explains
Beyond grammatical and discourse elements in communication, we are probing the nature of social, cultural, and pragmatic features of language. We are
exploring pedagogical means for “real life’ communication in the classroom. We are trying to get our learners to develop linguistic fluency, not just accuracy
that so consumed our historical journey.
Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that the language teaching is not focused on grammatical system but focused on communication
The objective of English instruction at school is to enable the learners to reach communicative competence. The term “communicative competence” was first coined
by Hymes 1972 as a reaction against the concept of Language competence proposed by Chomsky 1965. If Communicative competence is higher than linguistics
competence, how do we develop this? Can we give students structure drills or pattern practice?. Structure drills may be useful in developing linguistic competence i.e.,
producing grammatical sentence; but it is not effective to develop communicative competence. In Hymes’ view, the communicative competence refers to the knowledge
and the use of language with respect to
1 Whether and to what degree something is formally possible.
2 Whether and to what degree something is feasible in virtue of the means of
implementation available. 3
Whether and to what degree something is appropriate adequate, happy, successful in relation to context in which it is used and evaluated.
4 Whether and to what degree something is in fact done, actually performed,
and what its doing entails.
Some characteristics of communicative language teaching are stated by Richards and Rogers 2001: 160-161. They state that
1 Language is a system for the expression of meaning
2 The primary function of language is to allow interaction and communication.
3 The structure of language reflects its functional and communicative uses.
4 The primary units of language are not merely its grammatical and structural
features, but categories of functional and communicative meaning as exemplified in discourse.
The more comprehensive characteristics of communicative language teaching are given by Brown 2001: 43. The characteristics of CLT according Brown are as follows:
1 Classroom goals are focused on all the components grammatical, discourse,
functional, sociolinguistic, and strategic of communicative competence. Goals therefore must intertwine the organizational aspects of language with
the pragmatic.
2 Language techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic,
authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Organizational language forms are meaningful purposes. Organizational language forms are
not the central focus, but rather aspects of language that enable the learner to accomplish those purposes.
3 Fluency and accuracy are seen as complementary principles underlying
communicative techniques. At time fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully engaged in
language use.
4 Students in a communicative class ultimately have to use the language,
productively and respectively, in unrehearsed context outside the classroom. Classroom tasks must therefore equip students with skill necessary for
communication in those contexts.
5 Students are given opportunities to focus on their own learning process
through an understanding of their own styles of learning and through the development of the appropriate strategies for autonomous learning.
6 The role of the teacher is that of facilitators and guide, not all knowing
bestowed of knowledge. Students are therefore encouraged to construct meaning through genuine linguistic interaction with others.
d. The Elements of English Language Teaching
